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User blog:Carol of the bells/Days of Ruin --- Foregoing Affairs, part 1
Days of Ruin --- Foregoing Affairs, part 1 Hello, everyone! This is not a new series, per say (did I use that right), this is a compialation of prequels. For example, this one is about how Hisagi met Yukino. I'll do others like on Zen's childhood friend, Kaine's exile, Hisagi's childhood and so on. I'm posting this right now because the main story is still in the works, so please enjoy! *** "I'm so sorry I'm late!" All eyes turned to the white-haired girl that burst through the door, hands on her knees as she leaned over, gasping for breath. She straightened, brow furrowed as she squirmed under the unwanted attention. "Yukino," Her superior scolded, approaching her, "It's fine to be late every once in a while, but everyday?" He shook his head and sighed. "You're lucky we're not short on summoners." Yukino stared at her feet in shame. "I'm sorry, boss." He waved her off. "No matter. I would say don't do it again, but you'll be late again tomorrow, won't you? Anyway, an assignment just came in. I was going to give it to Karl, but his wound from his last mission has not fully healed yet." The boss and Yukino began walking down the hall as he spoke, and Yukino glanced towards the infirmary as he mentioned her young friend. Karl was still in training, but he was a very capable warrior with a promising future. She enjoyed his company, as he was a good listener as well as a conversationalist. "Are you listening, summoner?" "Ah!" She quickly snapped to attention, "Y-yes, boss!" "Then you're mission is...?" "Uh..." He sighed, pinching his brow. "I need you to investigate a monster nest in the Egor mountains. There's been an increase in recent monster activity there." He crossed his arms. "Personally I think it's suspicious. Untill now, that isolated family had been keeping that area clean. Until two weeks ago, that is. Normally, we would not interfere with the territory of others, but there is a village three hours south of the base of the mountain. If the monster activity spreads, civilians could be endangered." Yukino nodded. "I see....what family?" "Hm? Oh, some rich people who fight pretty well. They keep to themselves, but they can be hired as mercenaries if you know where to find them." "Oh." She shifted on her feet. "So, um, when do I leave?" "Right now." *** Yukino was grateful that there weren't any strong winds to blow her off the mountain. She pulled her coat closer around her as her feet impressed upon the soft snow. She took out a small device from her pocket and pressed a button, displaying a hologram map. Her targeted location was northwest and a mile of where she was standing. But in this weather, she'd have to get there quickly to save her strength. "Mifune," She spoke, summoning her dark unit. A bright light flashed as the samurai appeared. "Hm?" He stared at her from behind his scarf. "What is it, woman?" She smiled sheepishly. "Ah...do you mind...?" She showed him the map. He sighed, but nodded. In one quick move, he scooped her up in his arms. She squeaked in surprise at his speed as he rushed off into the snow so quickly, he vanished for a split second. They came to a halt and he set her down. She checked the map. It was just over the hill. Putting her device away, she and Mifune made the short trek up the snowy mound. "There," Yukino said, pointing at the hoard of monsters in the frozen valley. Mifune placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. "What do you want to do, Yukino?" She furrowed her brow in concentraition. "I think I can manage for now. You wait here in case I need you." The samurai nodded. Yukino drew in a deep breath and walked to the edge of the precipice. Pushing her strength into her legs, she lept down into the valley. The monsters' attention turned to the falling human as she landed, a ring of crystals spawning around her and spreading in a wave, destroying dozens of monsters. The mob howeled in anger and gnashed their teeth as they charged towards her. Yukino weaved in and out of the bodies, striking out rapidly with crystal shards. A leviathan reared up behind her, maw open to devour her. She spun around quickly and impaled it through the head with a wave of her hand. It gargled and spit blood as it toppled over. The battlefield slowly grew quieter as she continued to strike them down. Soon, she found herself catching her breath as she finished off the last monster. "Yukino, behind you!" Hearing Mifune's voice, she spun around, and came face to face with a rabid wendigo. Startled, she stepped backwards and tripped over her feet. "Ah...!" All at once, something happened. She couldn't tell what it was, because it was so fast. Even afterwards, no matter how many times she thought about it, she could never remembered what happened first. A transparent tendril of a shadow impaled the wendigo. It howeled in pain as a second one sped towards Yukino. Before she had even hit the ground, the monster was dead, and her arms were restrained by the shadows. She blinked, trying to process what happened. In front of her, there was a young man--no older than she. He had dark brown hair and equally dark blue eyes. He glared at her with---saddened eyes? She blinked again. This man didn't seem angry, he just seemed...sad. "Who are you?" He demanded. She couldn't answer. The man's eyes darted to his right and his shadows released her as he spun around, just in time to block Mifune's sword. Yukino dropped to the snow as the two engaged in combat. The man's shadows moved almost too quickly for Mifune, but the unit managed to get close and impale his attacker through the shoulder. He grunted, but counterattacked, running Mifune through the chest with his shadow. The unit fell back and disappeared. The man fell forward onto the snow, clutching his shoulder to stop the blood. Yukino swallowed heavily. Silence swept over the hills as she stared at his form. What had just happened? She wasn't sure. Slowly, she took a step towards the stranger. He didn't move. She took another cuatious step before finally walking up to him and stopping. "...hurry up..." "Eh?" She blinked. "What do you--" "Hurry up and kill me," He grunted, turned his head to look at her through tired eyes. "That's what you're here for, right? You know...you know my father's dead...so you're here to kill me...and get rid of the whole family...." She shook her head quickly. "N-no, no, it's not like that..." She took a step closer and knelt down to inspect his wound. He hissed in pain as her fingers touched his skin. "Who are you?" She asked. His eyes hardened. "You're the one trespassing...shouldn't you be telling me who you are?" Yukino suddenly remembered what her boss had told her before she had left for her mission. Her eyes lit up in realization. "Oh! Aren't you...aren't you part of that family...um..." He just stared. "I'm Yukino," She spoke quickly, fishing out some bandages from her pouch, "I'm not here to kill you. I mean, I know my unit attacked you, but he didn't know who you were. I didn't either, but, I don't think you were trying to hurt me. I least, I hope not? I know I'm probably trespassing, but, I'm just on a mission, and--" "Shut up," He finally interrupted, "You talk too much..." She quickly closed her mouth and nodded. "Heh..sorry..." She reached for his wound to bandage it. He flinched away. "What--" "It'll get infected," She said quickly. "Let me help." "I don't need--" "It was my unit who did this," She insisted, "Let me take some responsibility." He didn't move as she dressed his wound, staring at her intently. She squirmed under his gaze, but ignored it. They were silent as she finished and shuffled back to admire her handywork. "Finished," She said, standing. "Where do you live? I'll take you home." He moaned, pushing himself up. "I'll take myself there..." "No," She scolded, furrowing her brow. "You are wounded. Tell me where you live, and I'll take you home." He was about to argue when he stumbled forward. Yukino quickly caught him, supporting him under his good arm and his waist. She almost gasped in surprise when her hand nearly sunk through his coat. He was so thin! Almost starved, she thought. "Hey..." "West," He spoke, his voice barely audible, "Just...a few miles..." She nodded, walking in the way he had directed. *** Yukino didn't need the man to tell her where he lived. After walking a few miles west, a large grey mansion came into view, standing out against the snow. She quickened her pace, trying to accommodate the wounded man. After coming up to an iron gate, she had to lean him against the column as she pushed it open. She came back to him to help him up again. "Okay, let's go inside so you can--" "This is far enough," He interrupted, standing on his feet, leaning on the column for support. "I can manage from here." "Oh..." She looked down the walkway leading into the mansion, then back to the stranger. "Okay. Are you sure?" Without answering, he made his way through the gate, and limped slowly towards the mansion, without bothering to lock the gate. "H-hey!" She called after him, "What's...what's your name?" He turned to face her, hesitant. For a moment, she didn't think he would answer. Then, he spoke. "My name...is Hisagi Samui." *** "Samui?" Lin raised her brow and frowned thoughtfully. "Yeah, I think we have something on them...not much, mind you, they keep to themselves." She eyed her friend. "Why do you want to know, anyway?" Yukino shrugged, feigning indifference. "I'm just curious." The operater tapped her chin. "Well, there's no record on who the first Samui was. They just sort of...appeared. They're mostly summoners, from what we know. They're really just a bunch of fancy mercenaries that hunt monsters." "I see..." Yukino muttered. "Say," Lin eyed her mischeviously. "You're last mission was at Mt. Egor, right? Could it be? Did you see a member of the Samui family?!" Yukino ignored her question and asked, "Why do they live in the mountains, anyway?" Lin sighed. "I don't know. They're so secretive. You're being weird, Yukino. Did you meet one of them, or not?" "I did," She nodded. "He said...his father was dead." Lin's green eyes widened. "Eh? Really? Well, that's bad news for them." "How so?" "Well," The operator thought for a moment. "I'm pretty sure the current leader of the family only had one son. He doesn't haven't any children yet, so that means if he dies, one of their branch families will take over. I don't understand their full family demographics, but, it's my understanding that the branch families and the main family are at odds. If they get word that that Samui boy is living by himself, they might...well....kill him." Yukino felt a stab of panic. "What? Really? Lin, we have to do something!" She raised a brow. "Well...I mean, it's too bad, but, we can't really do anything. The Samui family is not known to accept outside help, and it's just safer not to get involved." The summoner drew in ann irritated breath. "Well, I'm going back." "W-what, seriously?! Why?" Yukino didn't answer as she walked out of the operating room. The truth was, she didn't fully know herself. Perhaps she was just being too compassionate for her own good. *** Yukino was relieved when she saw the grey walls of the Samui mansion. She had forgotten her map, and had been wandering North-West, hoping to see something familiar. She made her way to the gate, and was about to set her hand on it, when a familiar voice startled her. "What are you doing here?" She squeaked in surprise and spun around. "H-Hisagi! What are you--" "I was taking care of some monster infestations," He told her, "I...I have to make things look normal." For a brief moment, Yukino wondered what he was talking about, before she remembered what Lin said about the branch families. If his father was dead, Hisagi was probaby fending off monsters on his own. Hisagi's nose twitched at an unfamiliar but pleasant smell. His gaze drifted to Yukino's hands and he eyed the wicker basket she held onto. "What is that?" "Oh!" She quickly held up her almost forgotten basket. "I...I brought you some food. You looked a little hungry, so I..." His eyes widened slightly in surprise. After a moment of staring, he sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Just...alright, just come in." He brusuhed past her, opening the gate and motioning her in. She quickly walked past him, saying a quiet thank you. Hisagi lead her down the dark halls until they reached what looked like a large, painfully empty and quiet dining hall. She set her basket down on the table, awestruck by the enormity by the room and elaborate tapestries. Hisagi walked to the end of the table and took a seat. He motioned for her to do the same. She sat down, opposite of him. For a long moment, they were quiet. "Um," Yukino finally spoke, "If I may...what happened to your family?" He looked down at the polished wood of the table, refusing to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry," she quickly apologized. "You don't have to tell me, I know I hardly know you. I just--" "My mother died giving birth to me," He interrupted. "I had one older brother. Just a few months ago, my father died from sickness." He stared at an empty glass in front of him. "For a long time, my brother and I hunted the monsters around the area, so our relatives would not suspect anything. My brother was going to get married and have an heir, but you must understand...we don't have great social ties, despite our family history." Yukino nodded, swallowing awkwardly. "Eventually, he grew tired. He told me..." He paused, gritting his teeth as an unpleasant memory arose in his mind. "He wanted to let one of the branch families take over. He wanted to give up." "But," Yukino said slowly, "Would that be so bad? Why can't you let one of your relatives take over?" His eyes darkened as he looked up at her, and Yukino regretted her question. "You don't understand. Our family is more than a group of mercenaries. We...we hold a secret. It is something that only the heir to the Samui clan is meant to know. The older child is groomed his whole life so that he will be prepared to protect this secret. If one of the branch families were to gained control, they would shame our name, and...." The summoner sank down in her chair meekly. Hisagi cradled his head in his hands, hiding his face. "My father told my brother this secret, before he died. And my brother told me..." A small, bitter smile spread across his face. "...before I killed him." Yukino felt her eyes widen in surprise. "I...I had to..." He lowered his hands and stared at his palms. "He was going to destroy us...So I killed him." He chuckled mournfully. "He wasn't even angry. He just lay there, smiling." Hisagi clenched his trembling fist. "Why," Yukino felt her voice stick to her throat, and she swallowed before trying again, "Why are you telling me this...?" Hisagi looked at her with tired eyes. "Because...I'm dying. If I don't die of exhaustion, one of the families will eventually learn that I'm the last of the main family. It's one of our rules...if I die, the eldest of the branch families will have the right to take over. Even if it means they murdured me." His eyes hardened slightly as he drilled her with his gaze. "Yukino...I don't know you. And you have no reason to care about me. But you came back. Why?" She stared at him blankly. "I...I don't know...You looked lonely, and I thought I could help..." "There is only one way you can help." In the back of her mind, she already knew what he was going to say. She was begging herslef not to listen, to just leave and never come back, but part of her knew that it was too late. Without even fully realizing what was happening, she opened her mouth and spoke. "How?" For a moment, his eyes softened. "Please..." "Stay here with me." *** -Several Years Later- A young boy ran through the snowy garden of the Samui manor, not bothered by the feeling of the snow between his toes. In his hand he clutched a flower. "Mom!" He yelled excitedly, "Mom, where are you?" "Here, Ko. What's wrong?" Yukino rounded the corner at the sound of her son calling her. Ko ran to his mother and clung to her dress, holding up the wilted flower excitedly. "Mom, the garden is finally growing again! Look what I found!" She smiled and took the flower from his hand. "Oh, it's beautiful...But, you shouldn't pick the flowers if you want them to keep growing." Ko frowned as he stared at the flower. "Oh...I'm sorry, I...I didn't mean to kill it." She stroked his hair affectionately. "It'll grow back, son." She looked up as Hisagi walked down the garden path in front of them. He paused and offered a small smile before continuing on. "It will grow back evetually." *** Yay!! Kind of happy! And also kind of sad... Hope it made sense. And I hope you like it~! Thanks for reading~! Category:Blog posts